Together for Short Lives

Together for Short Lives We are the UK charity for children and young people who are expected to have short lives That’s one in every 270 children—the equivalent of one in every school.

99,000 children and young people are living in the UK with health conditions that are life-shortening or life-threatening—and the number is rising. Hearing the news that your child has a life-shortening condition and is likely to die young is devastating. It’s an incredibly distressing and confusing time. These children have very complex and unpredictable conditions and often need round the clock

care, seven days a week. Families have to cope with the knowledge that their child will die before them, and daily life for the whole family can become challenging. Although there are many excellent services helping them, these families still have to fight to get the care and support they need. Together for Short Lives is here for every one of these children and their families, being a companion to parents on their journey so they know where to go for support and have the information to help them make the right choices about their child’s care. We are here to help children and their families to access specialist children’s palliative care services, day and night, seven days a week—when and where they need it. Together for Short Lives also supports all the professionals, children’s palliative care services and children’s hospices that deliver lifeline care to children and families across the UK. By working together with professionals and organisations we provide a strong and unified voice, and help services deliver the best quality care and support tailored to each family’s needs.

Children's hospices are warm, joyful places where children living with serious illness can play, explore and be themselv...
15/06/2026

Children's hospices are warm, joyful places where children living with serious illness can play, explore and be themselves.

That's at the heart of the message Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales has written to mark Children's Hospice Week.

As Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices - EACH and Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice, Her Royal Highness has seen for herself the difference children's hospices make, not only for children but for their whole families, who are supported through every stage of their child's life and beyond.

She invites you all to join her in celebrating the countless ways children's hospices make every moment count.

, led by Together for Short Lives, is the only week of the year dedicated to shining a light on the UK's incredible children's hospices.

Read her letter in full at the link in the comments.

TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales

15/06/2026

It's Children's Hospice Week!🎉 Join us to celebrate the precious moments of happiness children's hospices bring to families of children living with serious illness.

These incredible places provide a multitude of services that help children with life-shortening conditions make the most of every moment.

From physiotherapy to music therapy, 24 hour telephone support to short break care, children’s hospices are there for families, every step of the way.

But they’re under real funding pressure: without more support, they can’t provide all the care families rely on. You can help change that. This Children’s Hospice Week from 15-21 June, join us on a journey to precious moments.

Let’s discover your local children’s hospice together this

Wishing the very best of luck to children's nurse Francesca Lennon and team as they begin their Steps of Love challenge ...
14/06/2026

Wishing the very best of luck to children's nurse Francesca Lennon and team as they begin their Steps of Love challenge tomorrow, ascending the UK's four tallest peaks during Children's Hospice Week.💜

Francesca has taken on many challenges during Children's Hospice Week over the years, but this time, she has been inspired to fundraise for us after her friend's son Henry, who died from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia when he was nine years old, was supported by a children's hospice.

She's joined by two friends and colleagues, each with their own personal reasons for supporting children's hospices to continue the warmth, joy and care they provide families every day.

Children's hospice services are under growing financial pressure, and the nurses and care teams behind them are working harder than ever to meet demand.

Support Francesca and the team by following the link in the comments.

CHAT UK - Children's Hospices Across The UK

Children’s hospices bring precious moments of happiness to families of children living with serious illness.These incred...
11/06/2026

Children’s hospices bring precious moments of happiness to families of children living with serious illness.

These incredible places provide a multitude of services that help children with life-shortening conditions make the most of every moment.

From physiotherapy to music therapy, 24 hour telephone support to short break care, children’s hospices are there for families, every step of the way.

Next week, during Children's Hospice Week (15-21 June), we'll be celebrating them.

Please let us know about any precious moments you've experienced at a children's hospice in the comments 💜

10/06/2026

"Children's hospice professionals don't have to go it alone."

Working with families of children living with serious illness and the professionals and services who provide them with palliative care, we've recently published our refreshed strategy so we can focus on what matters most to them.

Our ambitions are to:

- Increase equitable access to children’s palliative care.
- Improve the quality of care, ensuring the best support for families.
- Strengthen sustainability so families can rely on care where and when they need it.

These are big challenges, and they need big and bold solutions. Visit the link in our comments to read more.

When Paul Woodward first walked into a children’s hospice with his 4-year-old son Kalel, his family felt full of trepida...
09/06/2026

When Paul Woodward first walked into a children’s hospice with his 4-year-old son Kalel, his family felt full of trepidation. But he says nothing could have prepared them for the resilience, love and care they found behind those doors. 💚

Kalel was born with complex medical needs and received seven years of support at Derian House before he died aged 11 in 2019. Paul, a film producer for Old Swan Films, later released 'The Little Things' in 2025 – a powerful documentary showing how children's hospices help families find moments of joy in the hardest times.

Ahead of his speech at our APPG reception in Parliament next week for Children’s Hospice Week, Paul has shared with us a few of his favourite memories from Derian House:

“One day the whole Warrington Wolves squad walked through the door. I remember these huge men sat with us, picking up instruments and singing Disney songs. They brought so much energy and joy. Afterwards I went out to the car park to meet my wife. I was saying goodbye to these giant rugby players I’d just spent an hour and a half singing 'The Little Mermaid' with and she just looked completely bewildered. I have huge respect for what those players did that day. Each visit to Derian House was so unique and special. It just goes to show how every person there goes out of their way to create experiences that meet both the medical and fun needs of the children.”

(15 - 21 June 2026)

08/06/2026

Just one week to go until we all get our steps on for Children's Hospice Week!

There's still time to sign up to our 99,000 Steps Challenge - we'd love you to join our team and take a step for every child in the UK living with a serious illness.

Do it your way - walk, run, wheel, hop or dance, we don't mind! With every step, every push forward, every leap, every movement, you can help change lives.

Across the UK, 52 children's hospices provide vital care and support to children and their families. They are extraordinary places but right now, there simply isn't enough funding or staff to reach every family who needs that support.

This Children’s Hospice Week, from 15-21 June, take on the challenge of completing 99,000 steps to help keep these vital services running for families today, tomorrow, and in the future.

Visit the link in our comments to sign up now 🙌

For a families caring for a seriously ill child, being able to make their child’s wish come true can bring joy and toget...
06/06/2026

For a families caring for a seriously ill child, being able to make their child’s wish come true can bring joy and togetherness during the toughest of times.

As a referral partner for Make-A-Wish UK, we are delighted to be able to help families have magical experiences.

Here’s just a few of the very special wishes we can help to create:

- An incredible 2-night Disney Wish UK experience to party with favourite characters.
- Trips to Lapland to meet Santa.
- Short breaks and special trips.
- Sensory equipment and technology.

To find out more and to check eligibility, email: [email protected]

NEWS: We welcome a new report which sets out the UK Government’s plans for improving access to high quality palliative c...
04/06/2026

NEWS: We welcome a new report which sets out the UK Government’s plans for improving access to high quality palliative care for babies, children, young people and adults in England. We are now urging ministers to go further by setting out a sustainable funding and workforce model for children’s palliative care - and being specific about children in their palliative care goal.

In its interim report on the work it is doing to develop a palliative and end of life care modern service framework (MSF), the government sets out its goal for palliative care services across England. It also signals several areas in which will act, including how its approach to holding local NHS bodies to account for planning, funding and providing palliative care will change.

We welcome the government’s commitment to focus on the specific needs of babies, children and young people living with serious illness in the modern service framework. We support the decision to include performance and accountability metrics for children’s services, and thank ministers and officials for meaningfully engaging Together for Short Lives and other representatives of the children’s palliative and end of life care sector in the process so far.

We are pleased to see NHS England’s decision to specifically ask health and care systems to assess the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local populations – and to strategically commission the services they could benefit from.

Every child deserves many moments of happiness together with their loved ones. But for many families who need palliative care, the system is falling short, leaving parents and siblings feeling isolated and alone, and children missing out on life-changing support.

We are concerned that babies, children and young people are not specifically mentioned in the palliative care goal that the government has set out. All those representing children with serious illness and the professionals and services that care for them have been clear that citing children in the goal will be vital if we are to make sure local NHS bodies and councils meet families’ distinct needs.

In a system where families of children with serious illness are often overlooked, it is vital that ministers are more specific in their goal: the final MSF should explicitly state that every baby, child, young person and adult who needs palliative care or care at the end of life will have equitable access to high quality support, shaped by what matters to them, their families and carers.

As the MSF moves towards completion, it will be important for ministers and officials to work with us to urgently make sure that all families of children with serious illness can access high quality care, when and where they need it, through a system which is sustainably funded and staffed. Only by doing so can the government realise the ambitions they have set out today.

You can access a link to the report and our reaction in the comments below 👇

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